Software service notifications based upon software usage, configuration, and deployment topology

ABSTRACT

Software configuration information and topological information associated with a group of software program instances installed on at least one computing device are tracked. An available software update is identified for at least one of the group of software program instances. At least one software update suggestion rule that specifies a target software configuration and a target topological dependency to which the available software update applies is evaluated against the tracked software configuration information and topological information. A determination is made as to whether the available software update is targeted to the tracked software configuration information and topological information based upon the evaluation of the at least one software update suggestion rule. A notification of the available software update is provided in response to determining that the available software update is targeted to the tracked software configuration information and topological information.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to and claimsthe benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/207,958 titled“SOFTWARE SERVICE NOTIFICATIONS BASED UPON SOFTWARE USAGE,CONFIGURATION, AND DEPLOYMENT TOPOLOGY,” which was filed in the UnitedStates Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 11, 2011, and which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to software update and serviceavailability and applicability. More particularly, the present inventionrelates to software service notifications based upon software usage,configuration, and deployment topology.

Software applications are often coded and tested prior to release forsale or other distribution. The software applications may have newfeatures and/or defect fixes added after the initial release ordistribution. These new features may be included as an update to apreviously-released version or may form a portion of a new version of agiven software application. The updated software application or the newversion of the software application may be released for sale or otherdistribution.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A method includes tracking software configuration information andtopological information associated with a plurality of software programinstances installed on at least one computing device; identifying anavailable software update for at least one of the plurality of softwareprogram instances; evaluating at least one software update suggestionrule that specifies a target software configuration and a targettopological dependency to which the available software update appliesagainst the tracked software configuration information and topologicalinformation; determining whether the available software update istargeted to the tracked software configuration information andtopological information based upon the evaluation of the at least onesoftware update suggestion rule; and providing a notification of theavailable software update in response to determining that the availablesoftware update is targeted to the tracked software configurationinformation and topological information.

A system includes a memory and a processor programmed to track, withinthe memory, software configuration information and topologicalinformation associated with a plurality of software program instancesinstalled on at least one computing device; identify an availablesoftware update for at least one of the plurality of software programinstances; evaluate at least one software update suggestion rule thatspecifies a target software configuration and a target topologicaldependency to which the available software update applies against thetracked software configuration information and topological information;determine whether the available software update is targeted to thetracked software configuration information and topological informationbased upon the evaluation of the at least one software update suggestionrule; and provide a notification of the available software update inresponse to determining that the available software update is targetedto the tracked software configuration information and topologicalinformation.

A computer program product includes a computer readable storage mediumincluding computer readable program code, where the computer readableprogram code when executed on a computer causes the computer to tracksoftware configuration information and topological informationassociated with a plurality of software program instances installed onat least one computing device; identify an available software update forat least one of the plurality of software program instances; evaluate atleast one software update suggestion rule that specifies a targetsoftware configuration and a target topological dependency to which theavailable software update applies against the tracked softwareconfiguration information and topological information; determine whetherthe available software update is targeted to the tracked softwareconfiguration information and topological information based upon theevaluation of the at least one software update suggestion rule; andprovide a notification of the available software update in response todetermining that the available software update is targeted to thetracked software configuration information and topological information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of an implementation of a systemfor automated software service notifications based upon software usage,configuration, and deployment topology according to an embodiment of thepresent subject matter;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of an implementation of a coreprocessing module capable of performing automated software servicenotifications based upon software usage, configuration, and deploymenttopology according to an embodiment of the present subject matter;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an example of an implementation of a processfor automated software service notifications based upon softwareconfiguration and deployment topology according to an embodiment of thepresent subject matter;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an example of an implementation of a processfor tracking user software usage information, software configurationinformation, and topological information for software servicenotifications based upon software usage, configuration, and deploymenttopology according to an embodiment of the present subject matter; and

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an example of an implementation of a processfor generating software service notifications based upon tracking ofsoftware usage, configuration, and deployment topology of one or moresoftware program instances according to an embodiment of the presentsubject matter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The examples set forth below represent the necessary information toenable those skilled in the art to practice the invention and illustratethe best mode of practicing the invention. Upon reading the followingdescription in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilledin the art will understand the concepts of the invention and willrecognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressedherein. It should be understood that these concepts and applicationsfall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.

The subject matter described herein provides software servicenotifications based configuration and deployment topology. The presentsubject matter may also provide software service notifications basedupon user software usage. For purposes of the present description, theexamples herein may refer to configuration and deployment topology, ormay refer to user software usage in conjunction with configuration anddeployment topology, as convenient for purposes of description. However,it is understood that the present subject matter may be implemented inassociation with software service notifications based upon configurationand deployment topology, or may be implemented in association withsoftware service notifications based user software usage in conjunctionwith configuration and deployment topology without departure from thescope of the present subject matter.

Software configuration information and topological informationassociated with software program instances installed on computingdevices are tracked. As noted above, user software usage information mayalso be tracked. In response to identification of an available updatefor a software program instance, a software update suggestion rule isevaluated against the tracked software configuration information andtopological information, and against the tracked user software usageinformation, as appropriate for the given implementation. The softwareupdate suggestion rule specifies a target software configuration and atarget topological dependency to which the available software updateapplies, and a target usage pattern to which the available softwareupdate applies again as appropriate for the given implementation. Adetermination is made as to whether the available software update istargeted to the tracked software configuration information andtopological information, and additionally the user software usageinformation as appropriate for the given implementation, based upon theevaluation of the software update suggestion rule. A notification of theavailable software update is provided in response to determining thatthe available software update is targeted to the tracked softwareconfiguration information and topological information, and additionallythe user software usage information as appropriate for the givenimplementation.

It should be noted that the notification may be provided to aninstallation management server, to the computing device associated withthe tracked information, or to any other device as appropriate for agiven implementation. Based on these notifications, the installationmanagement server administrator may decide to update specific computingdevices that are managed by the installation management server.Notification of the available update is postponed for any computingdevice in response to determining that the available update is nottargeted to that particular computing device based upon its usage andinstallation. As such, users may be informed of available softwareupdates that are relevant/targeted to their particular software usage,configuration, and topology, and are not burdened with searching foravailable updates or being notified of updates that are not particularlyrelevant or targeted to their usage and installation.

Software programs for which software service notifications may beprovided as described herein may include application-level programs,middleware, embedded software programs, device control programs,software that implements network stacks, or any other software that maybe updated after initial release and distribution. Software programs andcomputer systems may include multiple installed hardware and softwarecomponents that may be configured in various ways for each particularinstallation. Installation platform and inter-component topology mayalso be utilized to vary installation or configuration of one or more ofthe components. Usage patterns of different users may result in accessof different functionality in different components, such that each usagepattern may be unique relative to other installations, configurations,and topologies. As such, the present subject matter provides forsoftware service suggestions/notifications based on the software usagepatterns, configurations, and deployment topologies. The present subjectmatter may be applied, for example, to computing systems ranging fromhandheld or stand-alone devices/computing systems through complexenterprise systems and environments.

For purposes of the present description, possible updates and serviceavailability may be referred to generally as “service updates” or“software updates” in certain examples to ease description of thepresent subject matter. It is understood that the phrase “serviceupdate” or “software update” may apply to any available change (e.g., anew version, a patch or fix applicable to a certain version, etc.) toone or more software programs and/or executing systems with respect toconfiguration, topology, or any other aspect appropriate for a givenimplementation. The phrase “installation-specific aspect” refers toconfiguration, topology, and usage patterns identified in associationwith one or more particular installed systems. Further, the phrase“program-specific aspect” refers to available features, configurationoptions, usability variants, and other aspects of one or more softwareprograms that may be identified in association with installation,upgrades, fixes, or other aspects of distribution and maintenance ofdistributed software programs.

The term “configuration” may be used to refer to installation optionsfor a given software program (e.g., application server, or otherprogram), such as how the software program is installed, differentpurposes for a particular set of installations (e.g., participant in acluster, or a cluster manager/administrator, etc.), or any otherconfigurable option that defines one or more behaviors of a productinstallation (i.e., there may be different configurable behaviors forsame installed package). A “configuration” option may also includeinformation about how a particular installation is configured to workwith one or more other products' installation options. Selectable useroptions may also be considered a “configuration” for purposes of thepresent subject matter. As such, a configuration may refer to how aparticular program instance is configured for a particular target ortarget platform.

The phrase “topology” and “topological” as used herein refer tointerconnectivity between programs and/or devices, and dynamic optionsfor interplay between programs and/or devices. For example, topologicalinformation may include information such as different responsibilitiesthat may be configured for programs and/or devices, inter-productdependencies (e.g., relations to other products) that may exist, and anyother variation between different installed programs, devices, andsystems, as appropriate for a given implementation. As such, the conceptof topology applies to interplay between multiple instances of asoftware program and one or more devices or systems. Additionally, forstand-alone installations, the concept of topology may apply tointeraction configurations, interconnectivity, and interplay betweendifferent program instances or installed systems.

The phrases “usage pattern,” “usage information,” “software usageinformation,” or “user software usage information” refer to any user usecharacteristic of a software program that may be monitored and trackedto determine usage for the particular software program by one or moreusers. For example, if a user has enabled macros within a particularprogram and uses macros, then software usage information for thatparticular program instance may include macro usageindications/identifiers. As such, available updates for macrofunctionality associated with the software program may be identified andsuggested to the user as described in more detail below. Alternatively,if a user has disabled macros within the particular software program anddoes not use macros, then the software usage information for thatparticular program instance will not include macro useindications/identifiers. Accordingly, available updates for macrofunctionality associated with the software program need not beidentified or suggested to the user as described in more detail below.

The present subject matter utilizes and distributes one or more“software update suggestion rules” with corresponding service updates.The suggestion rules specify target configurations, target topologies,and/or target usage patterns for one or more software program(s) forwhich the particular available program or service update(s) is/areapplicable. The software update suggestion rules may be distributed withservice updates and processed by either a centralized or distributedinstallation manager to determine whether to suggest the particularservice update(s) for each installed system managed by the respectiveinstallation manager (e.g., provide a notification).

Installation-specific aspects of an installed system (e.g.,configuration, topology, and usage patterns, etc.) may be analyzed todetermine whether program-specific aspects of the software program(s)associated with a particular service update are utilized by theinstalled system. The installation-specific aspects are then comparedwith the software update suggestion rule(s) associated with a serviceupdate to determine whether the service update is applicable to therespective installed system based upon the program-specific aspects ofthe software program(s) associated with the particular service update.Where there is a match between the software update suggestion rule(s)for a particular service update and the installation-specific aspects ofthe installed system, the particular service update(s) may be suggestedto the user or administrator of the installed system. The user oradministrator may then choose to install the respective serviceupdate(s), defer installation of the respective service update(s), ornot install the respective service update(s). As such, the softwareupdate suggestion rules correlate relevance of available upgrades andfixes associated with service updates with installation-specific aspectsof installed systems, and users do not have to search for availableupdates or process updates that are not relevant to the users'particular configuration, topology, or usage patterns. Accordingly,rule-based patterns are provided by the software update suggestion rulesfor identification of system installations that may utilizeprogram-specific aspects of one or more software program(s) to which aparticular service update is applicable.

It should be noted that conception of the present subject matterresulted from recognition of certain limitations associated withsoftware update and service availability to consumers/users. Forexample, it has been recognized that users of software programs arerequired to engage in lengthy and time consuming browsing of softwaredeveloper web sites that show all possible updates and servicesnotifications for a particular software program, or that the users arenotified of all possible updates and service availability. In eithersituation, the user is required to determine which updates or servicenotifications are appropriate, which also takes a significant amount oftime, or users may be forced to install service updates that they do notneed. The present subject matter improves software update and serviceavailability by providing tracking of user software usage patterns alongwith installed software configurations and deployment topologies.

Unnecessary updates may further require a complete system re-test ofsolution packages within large complex enterprise systems, which resultin expensive rollout procedures. The present subject matter may furtherfilter available software updates and service availability based uponthe tracked usage patterns and installed softwareconfigurations/deployment topologies, and provide notifications ofsoftware updates and service availability that are relevant to eachparticular user or installation. As such, users are notified of softwareupdates and service availability that are relevant to their particularuse of a particular software program and their particular installedconfiguration and/or deployment, and the users are not required toengage in lengthy and time consuming browsing of developer web sites ofupdate notifications that show all possible updates and servicesavailability for a particular software program. As such, improvednotification of software updates and service availability may beobtained through software service notifications based upon softwareusage, configuration, and deployment topology described herein.

The software service notifications based upon software usage,configuration, and deployment topology described herein may be performedin real time to allow prompt notification of suggestions for updatesthat are relevant for a particular installed configuration and topology,and the usage patterns associated with the particular installation. Forpurposes of the present description, real time shall include any timeframe of sufficiently short duration as to provide reasonable responsetime for information processing acceptable to a user of the subjectmatter described. Additionally, the term “real time” shall include whatis commonly termed “near real time”—generally meaning any time frame ofsufficiently short duration as to provide reasonable response time foron-demand information processing acceptable to a user of the subjectmatter described (e.g., within a portion of a second or within a fewseconds). These terms, while difficult to precisely define are wellunderstood by those skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of an implementation of a system100 for automated software service notifications based upon softwareusage, configuration, and deployment topology. A computing environment102 includes a computing device_1 104 through a computing device_N 106that communicate via a network 108 with an installation managementserver 110. The installation management server 110 may processinstallation and configuration options, along with topological aspectsof software program(s) installed on the computing device_1 104 throughthe computing device_N 106. For example, the computing device_1 104through the computing device_N 106 and the installation managementserver 110 may include application servers, where the installationmanagement server 110 manages installation of the application serverprogram(s) on the computing device_1 104 through the computing device_N106. As such, the installation management server 110 is configureddifferently from the computing device_1 104 through the computingdevice_N 106 because it is configured to manage installation of theother devices. Further, installation-specific interconnection andresponsibility differences may exist between the respective devices.Inter-product dependencies may also exist. These differences inconfiguration may be known to the installation management server 110 orcommunicated from the respective computing device_1 104 through thecomputing device_N 106 to the installation management server 110 formonitoring and tracking, either during installation, during one or moresubsequent initializations, or in response to a query from theinstallation management server 110. Any such recurring communicationsmay be periodic, aperiodic, or otherwise as appropriate for a givenimplementation. Further, user configuration options/changes and usagepatterns may be communicated from the respective computing device_1 104through the computing device_N 106 to the installation management server110 to allow the installation management server 110 to trackconfiguration and topology changes, and usage patterns, respectively, atthe respective managed devices.

Further, the topology of the respective devices may be dictated bynetwork connectivity, proximity, differences between configurations, andother factors. Other examples of one device operating as an installationmanager for one or more other devices are possible and all areconsidered within the scope of the present subject matter. Further, itis understood that the present subject matter applies to stand-aloneinstallations without departure from the scope of the present subjectmatter.

A software update server 112 provides notification services to theinstallation management server 110 of available service updates forsoftware programs managed for installation by the installationmanagement server 110. An update/service repository 114 stores serviceupdates for distribution within the system 100 and may store the serviceupdates in any manner appropriate for a given implementation. Asdescribed above and in more detail below, the software update server 112provides notifications of available service updates to the installationmanagement server 110. The notifications may be in the form of updatesuggestion rules, or otherwise as appropriate for a givenimplementation, that correlate available service updates with aparticular configuration, topology, usage pattern, or other aspect ofinstalled systems to which a particular service update is applicable.

As will be described in more detail below in association with FIG. 2through FIG. 5, the software update server 112 and/or the installationmanagement server 110 provide automated software service notificationsbased upon software usage, configuration, and deployment topology. Theautomated software service notifications based upon software usage,configuration, and deployment topology considers installation-specificaspects associated with installed systems, such as the computingdevice_1 104 through the computing device_N 106, and the installationmanagement server 110 itself, as appropriate for a given implementation,based upon the software update suggestion rules.

It should be noted that the computing device_1 104 through the computingdevice_N 106, the installation management server 110, and the softwareupdate server 112 may be a portable computing device, either by a user'sability to move the computing device to different locations, or by thecomputing device's association with a portable platform, such as aplane, train, automobile, or other moving vehicle. It should also benoted that the computing device may be any computing device capable ofprocessing information as described above and in more detail below. Forexample, the respective computing device's may include devices such as apersonal computer (e.g., desktop, laptop, etc.) or a handheld device(e.g., cellular telephone, personal digital assistant (PDA), emaildevice, music recording or playback device, etc.), or any other devicecapable of processing information as described in more detail below.

The network 108 may include any form of interconnection suitable for theintended purpose, including a private or public network such as anintranet or the Internet, respectively, direct inter-moduleinterconnection, dial-up, wireless, or any other interconnectionmechanism capable of interconnecting the respective devices.

The installation management server 110 and the software update server112 may additionally include any device capable of providing data,software programs, and management services for a device, such as thecomputing device_1 104 through the computing device_N 106, via anetwork, such as the network 108.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example of an implementation of a coreprocessing module 200 capable of performing automated software servicenotifications based upon software usage, configuration, and deploymenttopology. The core processing module 200 may be associated with eitherthe computing device_1 104 through the computing device_N 106, or theinstallation management server 110, or the software update server 112,as appropriate for a given implementation. Further, the core processingmodule 200 may provide different and complementary processing ofinstallation-specific aspect tracking (e.g., configuration, topology,and usage patterns, etc.), available service updates, and updatesuggestion rules based upon the functionality of the respective device.As such, for any of the examples below, it is understood that any aspectof functionality described with respect to any one device that isdescribed in conjunction with another device (e.g., sends/sending, etc.)is to be understood to concurrently describe the functionality of theother respective device (e.g., receives/receiving, etc.).

A central processing unit (CPU) 202 provides computer instructionexecution, computation, and other capabilities within the coreprocessing module 200. A display 204 provides visual information to auser of the core processing module 200 and an input device 206 providesinput capabilities for the user.

The display 204 may include any display device, such as a cathode raytube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), light emitting diode (LED),electronic ink displays, projection, touchscreen, or other displayelement or panel. The input device 206 may include a computer keyboard,a keypad, a mouse, a pen, a joystick, or any other type of input deviceby which the user may interact with and respond to information on thedisplay 204.

It should be noted that the display 204 and the input device 206 areillustrated with a dashed-line representation within FIG. 2 to indicatethat they may be optional components for the core processing module 200for certain implementations. Accordingly, the core processing module 200may operate as a completely automated embedded device without directuser configurability or feedback. However, the core processing module200 may also provide user feedback and configurability via the display204 and the input device 206, respectively.

A communication module 208 provides interconnection capabilities thatallow the core processing module 200 to communicate with other moduleswithin the system 100, such as the modules described above, to performthe automated software service notifications based upon software usage,configuration, and deployment topology described herein. Thecommunication module 208 may include any electrical, protocol, andprotocol conversion capabilities useable to provide the interconnectioncapabilities. Though the communication module 208 is illustrated as acomponent-level module for ease of illustration and descriptionpurposes, it should be noted that the communication module 208 mayinclude any hardware, programmed processor(s), and memory used to carryout the functions of the communication module 208 as described above andin more detail below. For example, the communication module 208 mayinclude additional controller circuitry in the form of applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs), processors, antennas, and/ordiscrete integrated circuits and components for performing communicationand electrical control activities associated with the communicationmodule 208. Additionally, the communication module 208 may includeinterrupt-level, stack-level, and application-level modules asappropriate. Furthermore, the communication module 208 may include anymemory components used for storage, execution, and data processing forperforming processing activities associated with the communicationmodule 208. The communication module 208 may also form a portion ofother circuitry described without departure from the scope of thepresent subject matter.

A memory 210 includes a configuration and topology tracking storage area212 that stores configuration and topology information either for thedevice associated with the core processing module 200 or for one or moreother devices where the particular core processing module 200 operatesas an installation management server for the one or more other devices.A usage pattern tracking storage area 214 stores usage patterninformation either for the device associated with the core processingmodule 200 or for one or more other devices where the particular coreprocessing module 200 operates as an installation management server forthe one or more other devices.

It is understood that the memory 210 may include any combination ofvolatile and non-volatile memory suitable for the intended purpose,distributed or localized as appropriate, and may include other memorysegments not illustrated within the present example for ease ofillustration purposes. For example, the memory 210 may include a codestorage area, an operating system storage area, a code execution area,and a data area without departure from the scope of the present subjectmatter.

An update notification processing module 216 is also illustrated. Theupdate notification processing module 216 provides processingcapabilities for configuration, topology, and usage pattern information,as described above and in more detail below. For example, where theupdate notification processing module 216 is implemented in associationwith one of the computing device_1 104 through the computing device_N106, the update notification processing module 216 operates to recordconfiguration, topology, and usage pattern information for processingeither locally in response to service update notifications or remotelyby a device, such as the installation management server 110.Alternatively, where the update notification processing module 216 isimplemented in association with the installation management server 110,the update notification processing module 216 may receive configuration,topology, and usage pattern information from computing devices, such asthe computing device_1 104 through the computing device_N 106, forprocessing as described above and in more detail below. As such, theupdate notification processing module 216 implements the automatedsoftware service notifications based upon software usage, configuration,and deployment topology of the core processing module 200.

Though the update notification processing module 216 is illustrated as acomponent-level module for ease of illustration and descriptionpurposes, it should be noted that the update notification processingmodule 216 may include any hardware, programmed processor(s), and memoryused to carry out the functions of this module as described above and inmore detail below. For example, the update notification processingmodule 216 may include additional controller circuitry in the form ofapplication specific integrated circuits (ASICs), processors, and/ordiscrete integrated circuits and components for performing communicationand electrical control activities associated with the respectivedevices. Additionally, the update notification processing module 216 mayinclude interrupt-level, stack-level, and application-level modules asappropriate. Furthermore, the update notification processing module 216may include any memory components used for storage, execution, and dataprocessing for performing processing activities associated with themodule.

It should also be noted that the update notification processing module216 may form a portion of other circuitry described without departurefrom the scope of the present subject matter. Further, the updatenotification processing module 216 may alternatively be implemented asan application stored within the memory 210. In such an implementation,the update notification processing module 216 may include instructionsexecuted by the CPU 202 for performing the functionality describedherein. The CPU 202 may execute these instructions to provide theprocessing capabilities described above and in more detail below for thecore processing module 200. The update notification processing module216 may form a portion of an interrupt service routine (ISR), a portionof an operating system, a portion of a browser application, or a portionof a separate application without departure from the scope of thepresent subject matter.

A timer/clock module 218 is illustrated and used to determine timing anddate information, such as for periodic or aperiodic querying of acomputing device to obtain/track user software usage information,configuration information, and related topological information, asdescribed above and in more detail below. As such, the updatenotification processing module 216 may utilize information derived fromthe timer/clock module 218 for information processing activities asdescribed herein.

The CPU 202, the display 204, the input device 206, the communicationmodule 208, the memory 210, the update notification processing module216, and the timer/clock module 218 are interconnected via aninterconnection 220. The interconnection 220 may include a system bus, anetwork, or any other interconnection capable of providing therespective components with suitable interconnection for the respectivepurpose.

While the core processing module 200 is illustrated with and has certaincomponents described, other modules and components may be associatedwith the core processing module 200 without departure from the scope ofthe present subject matter. Additionally, it should be noted that, whilethe core processing module 200 is described as a single device for easeof illustration purposes, the components within the core processingmodule 200 may be co-located or distributed and interconnected via anetwork without departure from the scope of the present subject matter.For a distributed arrangement, the display 204 and the input device 206may be located at a point of sale device, kiosk, or other location,while the CPU 202 and memory 210 may be located at a local or remoteserver. Many other possible arrangements for components of the coreprocessing module 200 are possible and all are considered within thescope of the present subject matter. Accordingly, the core processingmodule 200 may take many forms and may be associated with manyplatforms.

FIG. 3 through FIG. 5 below describe example processes that may beexecuted by devices, such as the core processing module 200, to performthe automated software service notifications based upon software usage,configuration, and deployment topology associated with the presentsubject matter. Many other variations on the example processes arepossible and all are considered within the scope of the present subjectmatter. The example processes may be performed by modules, such as theupdate notification processing module 216 and/or executed by the CPU202, associated with such devices. It should be noted that time outprocedures and other error control procedures are not illustrated withinthe example processes described below for ease of illustration purposes.However, it is understood that all such procedures are considered to bewithin the scope of the present subject matter.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of an example of an implementation of a process300 for automated software service notifications based upon softwareconfiguration and deployment topology. At block 302, the process 300tracks software configuration information and topological informationassociated with a plurality of software program instances installed onat least one computing device. At block 304, the process 300 identifiesan available software update for at least one of the plurality ofsoftware program instances. At block 306, the process 300 evaluates atleast one software update suggestion rule that specifies a targetsoftware configuration and a target topological dependency to which theavailable software update applies against the tracked softwareconfiguration information and topological information. At block 308, theprocess 300 determines whether the available software update is targetedto the tracked software configuration information and topologicalinformation based upon the evaluation of the at least one softwareupdate suggestion rule. At block 310, the process 300 provides anotification of the available software update in response to determiningthat the available software update is targeted to the tracked softwareconfiguration information and topological information.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an example of an implementation of a process400 for tracking user software usage information, software configurationinformation, and topological information for software servicenotifications based upon software usage, configuration, and deploymenttopology. As noted above, the present subject matter may be implementedfor tracking software configuration information and topologicalinformation for software service notifications based upon softwareconfiguration and deployment topology without consideration of usersoftware usage information. The present example illustrates theconsideration of user software usage information for efficiency withinthe present description. At decision point 402, the process 400 makes adetermination as to whether a tracking event has been detected. Atracking event may include, for example, expiration of a periodic timer,expiration of an aperiodic timer, a “user action” such as anadministrator instructing the installation manager to check forsuggested updates/fixes, an initial startup or boot sequence, ornotification of a tracking change to one or more of a usage pattern, aconfiguration, or topology from a managed computing device. Otherexamples of tracking events are possible and all are considered withinthe scope of the present subject matter.

In response to determining that a tracking event has been detected atdecision point 402, the process 400 makes a determination at decisionpoint 404 as to whether tracking information has been received. Itshould be noted that managed computing devices may be either queried forsoftware usage, configuration, and topological information, or themanaged computing devices may be instructed to send the respectiveelements of information on a status-change basis. As such, and asdescribed in more detail below, the managed computing devices may beinstructed to send the respective information elements in response to astatus change, and the received status change information may berecognized and processed in association with decision point 404.Processing for an affirmative determination at decision point 404 willbe deferred and described in more detail below.

In response to determining at decision point 404 that trackinginformation has not been received in association with the currenttracking event, the process 400 makes a determination at decision point406 as to whether the process 400 is currently configured to query therespective managed computing devices for tracking information or whetherthe process 400 is currently configured to instruct the managedcomputing devices to send the tracking information. It should be notedthat querying the managed computing devices may be performedperiodically, aperiodically, or in any other manner appropriate for agiven implementation. Further, the managed computing devices may beinstructed to send notifications of any status change with respect tosoftware usage information, software configuration information, andtopological information periodically, aperiodically, or in any othermanner appropriate for a given implementation.

In response to determining at decision point 406 that the process 400 iscurrently configured to instruct the managed computing devices to sendnotifications on status change(s) (i.e., not to query the managedcomputing devices), the process 400 instructs each managed computingdevice to send user software usage information, software configurationinformation, and topological information in response to any change inthe user software usage information, the software configurationinformation, and the topological information at block 408. It should benoted that the process 400 may perform the processing to instruct therespective managed computing devices one time or more than once asappropriate for a given implementation. The process 400 returns todecision point 402 to await a new tracking event.

Returning to the description of decision point 404, where the process400 is configured to instruct managed computing devices to sendnotifications on status change and has previously instructed the managedcomputing devices to send notifications, the process 400 may determineat decision point 404 that tracking information has been received fromone or more managed computing devices. As such, in response todetermining that tracking information has been received from one or morecomputing devices, the process 400 updates tracking information for themanaged computing device(s) from which the change tracking informationwas received at block 410. The process 400 returns to decision point 402to await a new tracking event.

Returning to the description of decision point 406, in response todetermining that the process 400 is currently configured to querymanaged computing devices for change tracking information (i.e., not toinstruct the managed computing devices to send status-changeinformation), the process 400 queries at least one managed computingdevice for user software usage information, software configurationinformation, and topological information related to at least oneinstalled program instance at block 412. As described above, thetracking event may include a periodic or aperiodic time interval. Assuch, the process 400 may query the respective computing devices inresponse to expiration of a pre-configured time interval, whetherperiodic or aperiodic. Further, the process may query all devices ateach tracking event or may be configured to process one or a subset ofdevices at each tracking event. Accordingly, the process 400 mayiteratively perform a round robin query operation of managed computingdevices or may query all or a subset of managed computing devices inresponse to a given tracking event.

At decision point 414, the process 400 makes a determination as towhether all responses have been received from the queried computingdevice(s). For purposes of the present description, it is assumed thatinter-event timing for tracking events is configured such that allcomputing devices that are queried have time to and will respond withinthe appropriate interval or period between each tracking event. Asdescribed above, appropriate error handling may be implemented asappropriate for any given implementation or additional processing may beadded to the process 400 to manage situations where devices do notrespond within a reasonable time period. In response to determining thatall responses for all queried devices have been received, the process400 updates any changes identified within the returned responses atblock 410 and returns to decision point 402 and iterates as describedabove.

As such, the process 400 responds to a variety of change tracking eventsand may instruct managed computing devices to send updates onstatus-change events for any tracked information, or the process 400 mayquery managed computing devices as appropriate for a givenimplementation. Tracked information is updated in response to anychanges.

The processing as described below in association with FIG. 5 may beutilized in conjunction with the tracked information, as described inmore detail below, to provide notifications of available updates thatare relevant to the particular usage and installation for the respectivemanaged computing devices.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an example of an implementation of a process500 for generating software service notifications based upon tracking ofsoftware usage, configuration, and deployment topology of one or moresoftware program instances. As noted above, the present subject mattermay be implemented for generating software service notifications basedupon tracking of configuration and deployment topology of one or moresoftware program instances without consideration of software usage. Thepresent example illustrates the consideration of software usage forefficiency within the present description. At decision point 502, theprocess 500 makes a determination as to whether a software update forany installed program instance associated with any computing devicemanaged by the process 500 is available. As described above, adetermination as to whether an update is available may be made bycomparing information recorded by an installation management server,such as the installation management server 110, and metadata aboutsoftware service and updates available at a software update server, suchas the software update server 112.

In response to determining at decision point 502 that a software updateis available for at least one installed program instance, the process500 retrieves one or more software update suggestion rules for theavailable update at block 504. The software update suggestion rule(s)may be retrieved, for example, from the update/service repository 114 ormay be provided by the software update server 112, or may be retrievedotherwise as appropriate for a given implementation. It should be notedthat there may be many rules or a single rule for a particular serviceupdate as appropriate for a given implementation.

At block 506, the process 500 retrieves software usage information,software configuration information, and software topological informationfor computing devices managed by the device that is executing theprocess 500 (again, this may be the current device that is executing theprocess 500 for a stand-alone implementation). At block 508, the process500 selects information about a managed computing device, where morethan one computing device is managed, from the retrieved information. Atblock 510, the process 500 evaluates the retrieved software updatesuggestion rule(s) against the retrieved tracked software usageinformation, software configuration information, and topologicalinformation for the selected managed computing device.

As described above, the software update suggestion rule may specify atarget usage pattern, a target software configuration, and/or a targettopological dependency to which the available software update applies.As such, evaluation of the software update suggestion rule may includecomparing the target usage pattern against the tracked user softwareusage information of the selected managed computing device. Evaluationof the software update suggestion rule may further include comparing thetarget software configuration with the tracked software configurationinformation of the selected managed computing device. Evaluation of thesoftware update suggestion rule may further include comparing the targettopological dependency with the tracked topological information for eachprogram instance installed on the selected managed computing device.

At decision point 512, the process 500 makes a determination as towhether the available software update is targeted to the selectedmanaged computing device. Determining whether the update is targeted tothe selected managed computing device includes determining whether thetarget usage patterns matches the tracked user software usageinformation, whether the target software configuration matches thetracked software configuration information, and/or whether the targettopological dependency matches the tracked topological information, asappropriate for a given implementation.

In response to determining that the available software update istargeted to the selected managed computing device at decision point 512,the process 500 notifies the installation management server 110 of theavailable software update at block 514. In response to determining atdecision point 512 that the available software update is not targeted tothe selected managed computing device, the process 500 postponesnotification of the available software update at block 516.

In response to either notifying the selected managed computing device ofthe available software update at block 514, or postponing notificationof the available software update at block 516, the process 500 makes adetermination at decision point 518 as to whether all managed computingdevices have been processed. In response to determining that all managedcomputing devices have not been processed, the process 500 returns toblock 508 to select another managed computing device and iterates asdescribed above. In response to determining that all managed computingdevices have been processed, the process 500 returns to decision point502 to await a new software update event. It should be noted that therespective computing devices that are managed by the process 500 mayindependently retrieve and install software updates for which therespective managed computing devices have been notified. Alternatively,the process 500 may be modified to retrieve the actual software updateand forward the software update to the respective managed computingdevices without departure from the scope of the present subject matter.

As such, the process 500 determines whether software updates areavailable for program instances installed on one or more managedcomputing devices. The process 500 retrieves a software updatesuggestion rule and evaluates that rule against tracked software usageinformation, software configuration information, and topologicalinformation for managed computing devices. The process 500 iterativelyevaluates the retrieved software update suggestion rule for each managedcomputing device that executes the program instance for which theavailable software update has been identified, and selectively notifiescomputing devices of available software updates where the availableupdate is relevant/targeted to the tracked software usage information,software configuration information, and topological information. Theprocess 500 further postpones notifications of available softwareupdates where the available update is determined not to berelevant/targeted to software usage patterns, software configurations,and software topologies associated with managed computing devices. Assuch, the process 500 improves software update notifications byproviding notifications to installation management servers and/orcomputing devices for which the respective software updates arerelevant, and omitting notifications to computing devices where therespective software updates are not relevant.

As described above in association with FIG. 1 through FIG. 5, theexample systems and processes provide software service notificationsbased upon software usage, configuration, and deployment topology. Manyother variations and additional activities associated with softwareservice notifications based upon software usage, configuration, anddeployment topology are possible and all are considered within the scopeof the present subject matter.

Those skilled in the art will recognize, upon consideration of the aboveteachings, that certain of the above examples are based upon use of aprogrammed processor, such as the CPU 202. However, the invention is notlimited to such example embodiments, since other embodiments could beimplemented using hardware component equivalents such as special purposehardware and/or dedicated processors. Similarly, general purposecomputers, microprocessor based computers, micro-controllers, opticalcomputers, analog computers, dedicated processors, application specificcircuits and/or dedicated hard wired logic may be used to constructalternative equivalent embodiments.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention may be embodied as a system, method or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the formof an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signalmedium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readablestorage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablestorage medium would include the following: an electrical connectionhaving one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, amagnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium maybe any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use byor in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, ordevice.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of thepresent invention may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object oriented programming languagesuch as JAVA™, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional proceduralprogramming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similarprogramming languages. The program code may execute entirely on theuser's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alonesoftware package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remotecomputer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latterscenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computerthrough any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or awide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an externalcomputer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet ServiceProvider).

Aspects of the present invention have been described with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in acomputer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readablestorage medium produce an article of manufacture including instructionswhich implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer,other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other devices to produce a computerimplemented process such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be notedthat, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in theblock may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantiallyconcurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be notedthat each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedsystems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

A data processing system suitable for storing and/or executing programcode will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectlyto memory elements through a system bus. The memory elements can includelocal memory employed during actual execution of the program code, bulkstorage, and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at leastsome program code in order to reduce the number of times code must beretrieved from bulk storage during execution.

Input/output or I/O devices (including but not limited to keyboards,displays, pointing devices, etc.) can be coupled to the system eitherdirectly or through intervening I/O controllers.

Network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the dataprocessing system to become coupled to other data processing systems orremote printers or storage devices through intervening private or publicnetworks. Modems, cable modems and Ethernet cards are just a few of thecurrently available types of network adapters.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present invention has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications andvariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Theembodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention forvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

1. A method, comprising: tracking software configuration information andtopological information associated with a plurality of software programinstances installed on at least one computing device; identifying anavailable software update for at least one of the plurality of softwareprogram instances; evaluating at least one software update suggestionrule that specifies a target software configuration and a targettopological dependency to which the available software update appliesagainst the tracked software configuration information and topologicalinformation; determining whether the available software update istargeted to the tracked software configuration information andtopological information based upon the evaluation of the at least onesoftware update suggestion rule; and providing a notification of theavailable software update in response to determining that the availablesoftware update is targeted to the tracked software configurationinformation and topological information.
 2. The method of claim 1,further comprising postponing the notification of the available softwareupdate in response to determining that the available software update isnot targeted to the tracked software configuration information andtopological information.
 3. The method of claim 1, where tracking thesoftware configuration information and the topological informationassociated with the plurality of software program instances installed onthe at least one computing device comprises: instructing each of the atleast one computing device to send the software configurationinformation and the topological information in response to any change inat least one of the software configuration information and thetopological information; and receiving at least one of changed softwareconfiguration information and changed topological information from atleast one of the at least one computing device.
 4. The method of claim1, where tracking the software configuration information and thetopological information associated with the plurality of softwareprogram instances installed on the at least one computing devicecomprises: querying each of the at least one computing device for thesoftware configuration information and the topological informationassociated with at least one installed instance of the plurality ofsoftware program instances; and receiving at least one of changedsoftware configuration information and changed topological informationfrom at least one computing device in response to querying each of theat least one computing device.
 5. The method of claim 4, where queryingeach of the at least one computing device for the software configurationinformation and the topological information comprises querying each ofthe at least one computing device in response to each expiration of apre-configured time interval.
 6. The method of claim 1, whereidentifying the available software update for at least one of theplurality of software program instances comprises receiving anotification of the available software update from a software updateserver.
 7. The method of claim 1, where evaluating the at least onesoftware update suggestion rule that specifies the target softwareconfiguration and the target topological dependency to which theavailable software update applies against the tracked softwareconfiguration information and topological information comprises, foreach of the at least one computing device: comparing the target softwareconfiguration with the tracked software configuration informationassociated with the plurality of software program instances installed onthe at least one computing device; comparing the target topologicaldependency with the tracked topological information associated with eachof the plurality of software program instances installed on the at leastone computing device; and determining whether the target softwareconfiguration matches the tracked software configuration information andwhether the target topological dependency matches the trackedtopological information.
 8. The method of claim 1, where the at leastone software update suggestion rule further specifies a target softwareusage pattern to which the available software update applies, andfurther comprising: tracking user software usage information associatedwith the plurality of software program instances installed on the atleast one computing device; evaluating the at least one software updatesuggestion rule that further specifies the target software usage patternto which the available software update applies against the tracked usersoftware usage information; determining whether the available softwareupdate is targeted to the user software usage information based upon theevaluation of the at least one software update suggestion rule; andwhere providing the notification of the available software update inresponse to determining that the available software update is targetedto the tracked software configuration information and topologicalinformation comprises providing the notification of the availablesoftware update in response to determining that the available softwareupdate is targeted to the tracked software configuration information,topological information, and user software usage information.